The present invention relates to a connector for detachably coupling a male member and a female member by insertion, and more specifically a connector for coupling a male and a female member so as to allow fluid to pass therethrough.
A variety of connectors for detachably coupling a male and a female member by inserting the former into the latter have been developed. These connectors are often called as quick connectors.
One example is shown in FIGS. 30 to 32. In this connector, a bore space 31 of a female member 30 receives a male member 33 having an engaging portion 34 in a manner of having the portion 34 behind a manipulating ring 32.
In a usual state, the manipulating ring 32 is located at a coupling position where the ring 32 is not coaxial with the female member 30. When attaching or detaching the male member 33, the manipulating ring 32 is moved down to a male member receiving position (in a lower position in FIG. 31) where the ring 32 is substantially coaxial with the female member 30. Consequently, the bore space 31 of the female member 30 becomes clear for receiving the male member 33 or engagement between the engaging portion 34 of the male member 33 and the ring 32 is released for removing the male member 33.
In the coupling position, the manipulating ring 32 is thrust in an eccentric direction (in an upward direction in FIG. 31), and engaged with the engaging portion 34 of the male member 33 only on one side (the lower part of the engaging portion 34 in FIG. 32) like a cantilever. Therefore, when force acts on the male member 33 in a withdrawal direction, the coupling state is not stable.